Minimum number of replies

Minimum number of reviews

Minimum number of views

The Nerdiest Christmas Cards Ever May Be
These Microscope Slides Composed of Shells
The unusual holiday exchange, which lasted
decades during the early 20th-century, hints
at the drama between the two colleagues
Smithsonian By Allison C. Meier, December 17, 2018
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/two-scientists-exchanged-christmas-greetings-microscope-slides-180971049/
A century ago, two scientists exchanged
fantastic microscope slides as Christmas cards
https://boingboing.net/2018/12/17/a-century-ago-two-scientists.html
Yours,
Paul H.

The Nerdiest Christmas Cards Ever May Be
These Microscope Slides Composed of Shells
The unusual holiday exchange, which lasted
decades during the early 20th-century, hints
at the drama between the two colleagues
Smithsonian By Allison C. Meier, December 17, 2018
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/two-scientists-exchanged-christmas-greetings-microscope-slides-180971049/
A century ago, two scientists exchanged
fantastic microscope slides as Christmas cards
https://boingboing.net/2018/12/17/a-century-ago-two-scientists.html
Merry Christmas everybody,
Paul H.

Welcome to the sign up portion of this year's Secret Santa Gift Exchange 2018!
Each year this event gets bigger and better with more players.
OK, let's get down to it. The Secret Santa is a gift exchange in which you enter your name into a pool and get matched with another player to exchange gifts.
We try to keep the gifts to around the $30 range so no one is sending an overly extravagant gift like a complete Sabortooth skull or too skimpy of a gift like a single broken clam shell.
When making your selection for what to send, ask yourself " Would I want to receive this?"
It is a Secret gift exchange. The catch of this gift exchange is you won't know who that person sending you the gift will be until you receive your package.
Your name will in turn be picked for someone else to receive a package from you.
No two players will be matched the same.
It is crucial that the identity of who it is coming from be kept totally unknown.
Sign up for entering this fun event will start today October 8th and run until the cut off for entry on Sunday, November 4th. Midnight Pacific Time.
You will then be matched with your exchange partner and the names and addresses will be sent out November 6th.
Please PM me with your full name and mailing address and whether you would like to trade with an international destination or keep it within the U.S. only.
European players can indicate if they want to stay within the European region as well.
*For packages going to an international destination, please send off your package within the week following your receiving the name and address information. We have found some packages take many weeks to arrive during this busy time of year, especially where customs offices are coming into play.
It has been requested by many members that since this is a Secret Santa exchange, that everybody hold off on opening your packages and posting the contents on the Forum until Christmas to keep with the seasonal spirit of the event.
A few handy tips learned from past exchanges that may help the shipping transaction run more smoothly and avoid unnecessary holdup.
* -Make sure your items are cleaned of dirt and dust the best you can. Most customs officials frown upon letting foreign dirt come into the receiving country.
* - Check the box on your customs form with "Gift". This portrays a better indication to the customs officials that the contents are not going to be for commercial resale.
* - In the past when writing your contents description in customs forms it has been found to write something that is very simple is best.
Such as: "Geological specimens for educational studies" or " Study grade fossils for educational purposes- No commercial value"
*- For the contents value on the forms make sure you write a low price value ( I personally put $10). Many customs departments will charge the reciever an additional charge based on the declared value on the form when entering that country.
It is a gift, we don't want the reciever to have to pay to get it released from customs.
Please don't write a value of zero (0) on the form either. That automatically raises a red flag to customs. Nobody is going to spend money sending a package that is worth nothing!
*- Please, please, please, package your items well with lots of packing material. The package may seem well packed on your dining room table, but they get bounced around, buried under other heavy packages, etc. when moving through different postal systems.
Nobody likes being exited to open a package only to find everything broken from lack of padding. Just please pack them well.
I think that should about do it. Remember to PM me your name and address information and whether you want international, domestic, or either one.
For those international packages, kindly get them sent out within the next week of getting the shipping information for your exchange partner. Some of those destinations take a long time to arrive, so the sooner the better!
Please refrain from opening your gifts until Christmas to keep it in the holiday spirit. Kindly post pictures of your recieved goodies when you do, others love to share in your joy.
One last thing. This exchange is supposed to be secret so let's keep it that way. You might know who sent you the items when you get them, but don't "spill the beans" for the rest of us.
Thank you for your cooperation. Now let's have some fun!

I am visiting family in Austin, Texas for Christmas. I plan a fossil hunt trip around Austin or a few hours away. After googling, I plan to visit Mineral Well Fossil Park, Waco mammoth national monument, Dinosaur Valley State Park and maybe few road cut on the way. I am debating on Ladonia Fossil Park. It is a little further away and I am worry that it is too cold to be in the river bed. I love Ladonia Fossil Park because of the possibility of finding mammal bones and arrowhead.
I would like to ask local people if it is a good idea to fossil hunt at Ladonia Fossil Park in December? Also if there is any other places I should consider? I love to find some ammonites, shark teeth, mammal bones and arrowhead. Thanks.